|
Mlokom Yulo - Bangni Festival
This is one of the major festivals of
Bangnis. It is the only festival which
is celebrated annually in every village on a community basis in the Bangini
months of Lakhang & Leehar corresponding to the English month of March &
April. The festival is celebrated for five
days, but occasionally the period may
extend to seven days depending on the result of divination performed prior to
the fixation of the date of celebration. The divination is done by a local
priest (Nibu) by examining the liver of a foul and the yolk of an egg
respectively. The site where the festival is celebrated is called 'MLKOM-YULO-NYENGENG'.
They do not have a permanent festival place.
On the previous
day of the festival, the villagers keep themselves busy in collecting rice beer,
rice making rice powder, egg and silk cloth. Sacrificial animals such as mithun,
cow, pig, goat and fowl are usually purchased either from their common village
fund or by collecting money or paddy from each house hold.
The festival is started with a worship in the name of god-Doni-Yulo
where rice beer, rice powder and white cock are offered. Another God called Kamio-Yulo is
also worshipped in the same place by offering only rice beer. When the prayers are over,
the white cock is brought down to examine its liver with a view to knowing the omen of the festival.
Different worships are performed on different days in the name of different gods and goddess by offering
and sacrificing different animals in accordance with the result of divination. At the end of the festival,
the villagers observe taboo for five days during which period they do not go out of the village.
The observance of taboo is known as MLKOM-Arina. The people of all areas both local and other including
tribals and non tribals irrespective of caste clan and creed uniformly participate in the Mlokom Julo festival.
Murung - Apatani Festival
It is a festival of abundance and richness of
wealth and is generally celebrated in the month of January every
year. Although this is an individual family festival, the entire Apatani as well
as others are also openly invited to take part with a liberty to eat and drink
and enjoy freely.
It is being celebrated for the well being of the individual
family members alone, specially with a hope to be blessed with more wealth and
prosperity for that individual family members.
Siron Molo Sochum - Nishi Festival
The biggest festival of the Nishi is called Siron Molo
Sochum and is celebrated in the Nishi month of 'Ram Po-Lo'
every year. Before
this festival all houses and granaries are rebuilt and all the crops like dry
paddy, millet, maize are harvested and stored in the granaries. For the
festival,
house holders cook rice, meat and prepare apeng and entertain guests
and receives blessing for more abundant crops next year. It is believed by the
Nishis that the more guests are satisfied with food and drink, the more crops will
grow in the coming year.
On the day of the festival, all singers of the village sing old history of
the Nishi people. In the song, it is described that the God Nima Teni did not
worship the goddess of crops and goddess therefore moved away to the land of
summer and entreated the goddess of crops and ultimately married her. Nima Teni
got all kinds of seeds from the goddess and learnt the method of cultivation from
her. Prayers are offered to the goddess of crops requesting her not to go away but
to fill the granaries with the crops. If some food-stuffs disappears over night
or food prints of some animals are seen, it is believed that the goddess came to
the people and the crops will be abundant.
|
